Nissan Navara EnGuard Concept Previews Tomorrow’s Rescue Trucks

We're still waiting for a replacement for the aging Nissan Frontier. In the meantime, Nissan continues to taunt us from abroad with the similarly sized Navara pickup truck. Now, the automaker has given us even more to drool over with the Navara EnGuard rescue concept that debuted at the Hanover Motor Show.

The specially outfitted pickup boasts a number of unique upgrades, including a portable battery pack to power first responder equipment, drone launch pad, 360-degree lighting rig, winch, and more. The concept is based on the Double Cab Tekna version of the Navara, and was designed to showcase the truck's potential as a rescue vehicle platform.

The Navara EnGuard utilizes prototype battery packs developed from the Nissan Leaf EV's battery technology. Each one houses seven Leaf battery modules in a weather-proof aluminum housing, and is rated at 2 kilowatt-hours. The packs are constantly being charged when docked in the truck's bed and are ready to supply power to specialty cutting tools, heavy-lifting equipment, or other rescue gear. Two input sockets and five output sockets are included on each battery pack. Nissan says the packs are efficient alternatives to a conventional gas-powered generator.

The bed also features two pull-out trays made of fiberglass. The top tray can be used for storing lighter items like radios, ropes, and axes, while the deeper bottom tray can be used for larger things like an oxygen tank or life preservers. A pop-up screen displays the video feed from the EnGuard's onboard quadrotor drone, a DJI Phantom 4. The drone can be used to scout ahead to allow rescuers to better evaluate a given situation.

On the roof of the cab is a 360-degree LED lighting system with blue emergency strobe lights. At the front of the truck is a high-powered winch. The Navara EnGuard is powered by a 2.3-liter twin-turbo diesel I-4 engine, and uses the same ladder frame chassis as the standard Navara. Additionally, the concept truck is raised by nearly 2 inches and features a fully adjustable suspension with nylon bushings.